All three actors scored Golden Globes for their roles in the nail-biting drama and the show was nominated for best miniseries or TV film.

Tom won at the Golden Globes (Jordan Strauss/AP)

It was also nominated for a string of Emmys, with director Susanne Bier taking home the prize for outstanding directing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, which was written in 1963, follows Alec Leamas, a hard-working, hard-drinking British intelligence officer whose East Berlin network is in tatters.

His agents are either in the wind or dead at the hands of East German counter-intelligence officer Hans-Dieter Mundt until Leaman is offered a chance of revenge when he is recalled to London.

The novel was made into a film starring Richard Burton in 1965 and le Carre has said he is looking forward to seeing it on screen again.

John le Carré (Ian West/PA)

He said: “I’m very excited by the project, and have great confidence in the team.”

Beaufoy added: “It’s incredibly exciting to be working on the best Cold War spy story ever written.”

Simon Beaufoy (Yui Mok/PA)

The show will be produced by The Ink Factory, the company behind The Night Manager and Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama said: “Following the huge global success of The Night Manager, it’s a privilege to announce that John le Carre will return to BBC One with one of the best spy thrillers ever written.

“Adapted by Simon Beaufoy, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is utterly timely in its evocation of the Cold War period and we are thrilled to be working with The Ink Factory and AMC again to bring this seminal novel to the screen for another unmissable drama series on BBC One.”